An End Has a Start
by Vilsy
Summary: Alvin, Simon, and Theodore Seville are approaching high school age. Their father, Dave, is worried for their development outside of being international music stars and has to make a grave decision about his career and theirs. Chapter 4 is up!
1. Betrayal

"Alvin & the Chipmunks: An End Has a Start"

Fan fiction by _Vilsy... _

**Author's general greeting and warning**:

Hello! I am back from another huge hiatus from fanfiction dot net. I know most of you would like to kill me because I am INCAPABLE of finishing a story. So I am going to warn you right now… I post my stories as I go along and sometimes my creative mind hits a wall like a speeding car and I just can't start up again on the same subject. I suppose you could say I go through phases, and sometimes I can't finish a story before that phase… phases out. But believe me: I give it my all while my all is there to give! And I hope you'll still enjoy what I have to share. Have heart if you were into my other works, I may yet go back to them! Thanks as always for reading!

**Disclaimer type stuff:** I make no claim to _"Alvin and the Chipmunks"_ or any related characters, names, etc. They are property of Bagdasarian Productions, Inc. c/o Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman as far as I am aware, and this is just a non-commercial textual tribute to their grandness.

I adore _"The Chipmunks"_ and have recently revisited their greatness. I came back to to read some fics based on them and was shocked to see there are barely 40 of them. After reading several of the stories I thought I'd help contribute to the strong but seemingly small fandom by starting a fic of my own. Thanks to all you other awesome fans for keeping the spirit of these characters alive and inspiring me to do the same! Sorry if this turns out too angsty; I've tried to keep everyone in character as best I can.

**Summary**: Alvin, Simon, and Theodore Seville are approaching high school age. Their father, Dave, is worried for their development outside of being international music stars and has to make a grave decision about his career and theirs. How will the boys take it?

**Random Note:** I don't recall who, if anyone, is the Chipette's manager. I'm not even sure if they are in the same situation as the Chipmunks themselves as far as musical career. If anyone would like to educate me on this, please feel free! For now, I've dubbed Dave their manager along with his own boys. Now finally you may start reading!

"You're ruining my life, Dave. _**Ruining**_ it!"

"Alvin..."

"Simon! Theodore? Say something already!"

"Alvin."

"You CAN'T agree to this! Have you guys lost your minds?"

"AAALLLLVVVVIIIN!"

Simon and Theodore sat close together on the far end of the couch, distancing themselves from their hysterical brother. They found themselves in their usual formation in the living room when there was a serious discussion to be had. They remained silent as their father passed down his judgment.

"Sit down, Alvin!" Dave's unwavering voice commanded. "Right now!"

Alvin Seville clenched his fists and dropped down onto his rear end in reluctant obedience. He was rounding 14 years of age and had grown considerably taller, but still had the bad habit of standing on the couch cushions as he did when he was younger. Sometimes Dave had even caught him standing on the coffee table, sneakers and all. There were a lot of things that were excusable when he was 3 foot nothing, but now the boy had to mind his weight—and his attitude.

Dave heaved a heavy sigh as he stood in his living room, looking his three sons over. Alvin was livid and quivering, and just waiting for the next chance to protest. Simon, tall and lanky, was sitting silently in deep reflection. Theodore, taller and more robust than he had been as a lad, yet still just as timid and soft-spoken, sank back into the couch pillows.

"Look, boys," the weary yet resolute man finally said. "I'm really sorry, but I believe this is for your own good." He aimed a well-timed evil eye at Alvin who had opened his mouth to retort. "Our contract is about to expire with the record company and I feel it best if we didn't renew it."

"But DAVE!"

Dave began pacing side to side, ignoring Alvin's pleas as he recited his long-practiced speech. "They've been jerking us around for a while now, and frankly sales haven't been real good lately to compensate."

"Dave-"

"The court date is coming up for the suit for the royalties for those two songs they haven't given me a penny for."

"Dave..."

"Plus if we renew under the terms they're stipulating, they're just going to take us for another ride."

"We can just find another-"

Dave was doing a monumentally good job at blocking out Alvin's interruptions, as he was determined to get his points across before entering another screaming match with his crimson-clad son.

"You're getting older now, and you'll be in high school come September. I'm just afraid that your grades will start to suffer-" He watched as Alvin crossed his arms and Simon shot him a sort of smug grin. "-more so than they already have." He addressed them all but the accusation was really only directed at Alvin.

"School? Who cares about school! We're famous!"

Dave slumped into his slumping armchair and massaged his temples with a thumb and forefinger. "Alvin..."

The boy sprung off the couch and to his feet, his oversized turtleneck finally seemed to fit him these days. "Dave! Don't we get any say in this? I mean, it is _our_ group! Right guys?"

Simon and Theodore just gazed at him with noncommittal looks on their faces.

"This is a free country! We live in a democracy! I have my rights! I claim the first amendment!"

"All right, all right, Alvin. I value all of your opinions, you know that. You've certainly voiced yours, Alvin. What about you, Simon?"

For the first time in almost an hour, Simon spoke. "Well, Dave. Alvin, Theodore." He stood up and removed his glasses from his nose and drew them close to his chest. Alvin turned and glared at him with fists clenched as if awaiting his brother's no doubt clever argument against Dave's tyranny. Simon busied himself with polishing his spectacles on his shirt. "I see no reason to make any fuss over our current situation. As I understand it, we've one last set of shows before the end of the summer and the termination of our contract. That should be a decent last hurrah so to speak." Alvin's left eye twitched. "I've reviewed our past contracts and the paperwork regarding Dave's lawsuit, and I'm ashamed to think that we've been hoodwinked so badly and that our talents have been exploited." Theodore fiddled his fingers together and Alvin seemed a few steps behind with translating Simon's statement in his own head. "Thus, in my honest opinion, a break from the industry could prove beneficial, and could help to deviate from any further abuse from greedy benefactors-" He chuckled, though the joke was only for himself as usual, "-or malefactors as the case has proven to be."

Dave cracked a solemn smile and shook his head, admiring his studious son's shrewd understanding of almost anything thrown his way. "I agree, Simon, but how does it really make you feel? You know, about recording and your performances?"

Simon returned his glasses to his face abruptly. "I've had a lot of fun, Dave, but I really want to study." Alvin looked like he was about to explode. "Like you said, I'm afraid my grades will suffer." Simon's grades never so much as wavered from straight A's let alone "suffered". But Dave understood that Simon's passion had been more and more drawn towards academics and his unending pursuit of knowledge. He seemed less and less enthusiastic about spending time in the studio or schlepping around on tour busses for weeks on end.

"All right Simon, thank you. Theodore?"

Alvin's mouth opened wide and his balled fists balled even tighter, but Dave's warning eye made him back down. His portly little brother stood up from the couch as Simon sat back down. Theodore held his arms behind his back and looked ruefully at Alvin before focusing back down at his feet.

"Go on, Theodore," Dave encouraged. "What do you think about all this?"

"W-well. I-uh..."

Alvin couldn't hold it in any longer. Theodore's naiveté had always been susceptible to his cunning deception and trickery. If he could at least sway Theodore from the madness that had apparently consumed Simon's mind, he'd have a 2 against 2 vote. It was better to even things out than to lose completely.

"Come on, Theodore," Alvin said quickly before Dave could silence him. "We're the Chipmunks! How could we break up... the Chipmunks!? That would be like... not being brothers anymore!"

"Alvin, let him speak, will you?" Dave groaned, continuing to rub his head.

Theodore gasped and looked over to Alvin with a dire expression on his face. He wasn't sure if Alvin was making a threat or if their brotherhood would really be brought into question if their musical group disbanded. Theodore valued the relationship he had with his brothers quite deeply. "Well I-"

"Be honest, Theodore," Dave coaxed, hoping to undo the damage Alvin had undoubtedly caused.

"Yeah, Theodore," Simon chimed, giving a disapproving look to Alvin. "Honest."

"W-well," Theodore continued to stutter while his gaze returned to the carpet below his sneakers. "It's really sad. I'm really sad."

"See? You made Theodore sad, Dave. How could you?"

"Alvin..."

"I mean I'm sad because, I feel like... like a quitter."

"What?"

"Don't say that, Theodore," Dave said as he sat up straighter in his armchair.

"No, it's true, Dave. I don't wanna go on long tours anymore! I-I mean I like singing... but... I wanted to..."

"To what?" Dave asked, trying to coax any hidden interests Theodore may have wanted to pursue.

"Well I..." His blue eyes shifted to Alvin who regarded him like a pet owner about to beat his dog with a newspaper. "I want to be a chef!" Theodore lifted his arms dramatically as he blurted this out, and then quickly recoiled into a ball of self-consciousness.

Simon gave a knowing smile and Dave chuckled warmly. Alvin was the only one who thought his little brother was speaking in tongues. "Theodore! You can't be serious!"

"But I..."

"You're gonna throw a life of fame, popularity, and girls away to bake cookies!?"

Theodore looked like he might cry; he knew when he finally confessed his dream Alvin would probably react this way. "B-but Alvin..." His voice grew almost inaudible. "Those are all the things you get... not me..."

"Alvin-" came Dave's voice.

"Alvin..." Simon began.

"What!?"

"Theodore's opinion is just as valid as yours, and you should support your brother's feelings."

"If my opinion's so valid," Alvin spat in practically a growl, "how come none of you are supporting me!?"

Awkward silence ensued, until Dave finally shook his head and stood up. "I'm sorry, Alvin. I've made up my mind. Based on our situation with record company, the work and time I'll have to put forth during this lawsuit, and all of your input, I think it best if we take a hiatus."

"Nooo!" Alvin wailed, falling to his knees for effect.

"I've already mentioned this to Ms. Miller," Dave continued, turning to gaze thoughtfully out of the window to the afternoon sky. "I've invited her and the girls over for dinner tonight, and I'm going to tell them the news."

"News? What news?" Alvin suddenly sputtered in a maniacal sort of way.

Dave turned and began walking towards the foyer. "That this will be our last summer, and that I'm retiring as their manager."

"Nooo! Dave, you'll break their hearts!" Alvin was crawling towards Dave like a grief stricken widow.

"Since when did Alvin disapprove of heart-breaking?" Simon muttered to Theodore who had sat back down sheepishly.

Dave stopped and looked down at his son who was kneeling at his feet with hands clenched as if in prayer. "Please Dave! Don't do this to me! I want to keep performing! It's not fair!"

Dave's heart was the one that broke as he watched this agonizing display. He'd seen Alvin in this position countless times before but usually over more trivial matters, like begging to go see a rated R movie or to stay up later to play a new video game. The decision he was making was anything but an easy one. He knew how much it all meant to Alvin, but he was doing this for the greater good.

"Get cleaned up for dinner, boys. Ms. Miller and the girls will be over in an hour or so, and I need help with the vegetables." He used this dismissive instruction to evade Alvin's anguished pleas, but instead the boy threw himself at Dave's leg and clung to it like a terrified cat.

"No Dave! Please! Don't do this to me!" he cried, squeezing his father's shin in a manner that reminded Dave of a much younger Alvin prior to being taken to the dentist.

"Alvin… please," Dave managed to breath, the sternness in his voice faltering.

Simon slid off of the couch and padded across the carpet to the foyer, placing his hands on Alvin's shoulders. "Come on, Alvin. Dave needs to start dinner."

"Get your hands offa me, traitor!" Alvin spat, clinging obstinately to Dave's leg and wrenching his shoulders from Simon's grip.

Theodore quickly hopped off of the couch and joined Simon. He knew a fraternal fight brewing when he saw one. "C-come on, Alvin. Let's go upstairs. Here, I-I'll help you." By "help" Theodore really meant "remove you forcefully from our father's appendage and drag you up the stairs." He and Simon did just that, Alvin kicking and screaming in tow.

Dave felt beside himself as he ran his fingers through his thick black hair. "Gees… I knew he'd take it hard. Am I doing the right thing…?" Shaking his head in defeat, he turned and entered the kitchen. "I hope the girls take it better…"


	2. A Dinner to Forget

"Alvin & the Chipmunks: An End Has a Start"

Fan fiction by Vilsy...

**Disclaimer type stuff:** I make no claim to "Alvin and the Chipmunks" or any related characters, names, etc. They are property of Bagdasarian Productions, Inc. c/o Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman as far as I am aware, and this is just a non-commercial textual tribute to their grandness.

**A/N: **Thanks for your comments! I did read your story, Spiritofdawolf! It's really great and I dropped you a comment on it too! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter, there's much more to come!

As the three brothers reached the summit of the staircase, Alvin had regressed into one of his "I can't believe this is happening" catatonic states. Simon rolled his eyes as he and Theodore hefted their limp-limbed brother around the corner. Alvin was always a little too dramatic for his taste.

"Let's drop him off in the bathroom, Theodore."

"Oh-OK, Simon."

With some difficulty, they carted Alvin's dead weight into the bathroom. Once there, they heaved him into a sitting position on the floor and leaned his back against the side of the bathtub, as he refused to stand on his own. Theodore knelt down beside him on the plush bathmat and gently shook his brother's shoulders.

"A-Alvin? Are you all right?" he inquired urgently, gently lifting his brother's closed eyelid with his index finger.

"He's long gone to his special place, Theodore," Simon explained as he leaned over the bathtub and pulled up one of his sleeves. He stopped the drain and began running hot water.

"O-oh," Theodore frowned, poking a bit at Alvin's side in hopes that he would awaken from his stupor.

"He'll be fine, don't worry," Simon continued in a reassuring voice. From prior experience, he knew that stewing Alvin in some scalding hot bath water for a few minutes usually brought him to his senses. "You had better wash your hands then go downstairs to help Dave. I'll be down to help in a few minutes."

"OK, Simon," Theodore nodded, giving one last adjusting push to Alvin so he would not topple over. He drew up to his full height and leaned up to the sink to wash his hands. He was tall enough to not need a stool anymore, but it was still a stretch. As he juggled a bar of soap between his mitts, he sighed and stared solemnly at Simon's reflection in the mirror. "S-Simon?"

"Yes?"

"I feel really bad."

"In regards to what, Theodore?"

"Well, maybe I shouldn't have said those things to Dave. It made Alvin really upset..."

Simon took a seat on the side of the tub and waved the steam away from his glasses with his hand. "Theodore, it's all right. You don't need to feel bad. You've wanted to talk to Dave about this for a while now, and now you've had your opportunity." He removed his spectacles and wiped the condensation from them with his shirt before returning them to the bridge of his nose.

"I-I know," Theodore stammered, watching the soap suds swirl around and slide down the sink's drain. "I thought you'd be the only one to understand... so I was scared."

Simon turned and looked down at Alvin who seemed as though he might fall over at any second. "It is hardly the end of the world," he said with some heightened volume in hopes that Alvin might hear. "It's just a break so we can get our affairs in order. Nothing is really changing that _dramatically_." Another hint towards his unconsciously brother went unheeded.

"I know," Theodore repeated, cutting off the tap and reaching for a hand towel. "But Alvin-"

"Theodore, stop worrying about Alvin," Simon instructed firmly, standing up to turn the bath water off. "You've got to start thinking about yourself for a change, and what you want. Alvin worries about himself enough as it is," he continued as he unceremoniously flicked his brother's red cap off of his head. "Sooner or later he's got to learn that he isn't the center of the universe."

Theodore looked puzzled as he dried his hands off, almost as though Simon's statement was news to him. He folded the hand towel neatly and slid it back onto its rack before tapping his chin thoughtfully. "W-well… I guess it's just a little break, right? D-Dave might change his mind later… right?"

Simon sighed as he went through the degrading task of pulling Alvin's shirt off. This was tolerable when they were younger, but now he thought Alvin was getting a little too old for these tantrums. "Nothing is set in stone, Theodore," he grunted as Alvin's shirt finally detached itself from its owner. "Could you give me a hand before you go?" he added quickly, seeing that this was no longer a one munk job.

Their combined efforts finally got Alvin out of his clothes and into the bathtub. About a minute and thirty seconds had passed when Alvin suddenly burst into awareness, splashing about wildly in the water. "What's going on!?" he gasped with such fear as though he'd been thrown overboard from the Titanic.

"Welcome back to the world, Alvin," Simon greeted with his usual tinge of sarcasm as he leaned against the wall between the toilet and the bathtub.

"Are- are you OK now, Alvin?" Theodore inquired hopefully, taking a few measured steps towards his hysterical, submerged brother.

Alvin squinted at his brothers and surveyed his surroundings before answering. Everything seemed to rush back to him in an instant. "Am I OK?! Am I OK?? How could you guys turn against me like that? Why do you want to break up the band?"

"Alvin, we're not breaking up. Like Dave said, we are just going to take a hiatus."

"You'd rather be a nerd and study all day than be famous!"

"Alvin..."

"And YOU!" He pointed accusingly at Theodore who looked taken aback by the sudden gesture. "YOU want to wear an apron and play around in the kitchen like a girl! You don't really want to _make_ food, you just wanna _eat_ it!"

"Alvin!" Simon snapped, but it was too late. Theodore had retreated and disappeared into the hallway with not so much as a warning.

Simon's expression dropped into one of sheer anger, something Alvin hadn't seen in quite some time. The taller boy leaned close to the bathtub and returned the finger pointing gesticulation. Alvin blinked and sunk a little deeper into the water. "Why are you such a pompous ass, Alvin!? Theodore's your brother! You KNOW how sensitive he is! Why can't you ever be considerate towards him?" Alvin raised a finger to say something, but he was taken aback by Simon's intimidating tone. "It's not always about you!"

With that, Simon turned and exited, slamming the door behind him with a flourish.

"What's the matter, Theodore? You look a little shaken up," Dave asked as his green-clad son shuffled sheepishly into the kitchen on the verge of tears. Dave was busy chopping onions at the kitchen counter, but his eyes weren't divulging nearly as much moisture as Theodore's were.

"Oh-oh it's nothing, Dave. W-what can I help with?"

Dave shifted his weight and looked searchingly at Theodore who refused to meet eyes with him. He had noticed that Theodore's stuttering had been particularly bad all afternoon; it was a habit from childhood that he had never seemed to grow out of. It manifested itself when he was nervous, which recently was a common state for him to be in. "Well, if you'd like, you can season the potatoes. They're in that pot on the back burner." He watched as Theodore stood in the doorway, hesitating as though he hadn't heard the suggestion. Dave's expression dropped as he mulled over the situation. "Is everything all right up there?"

Theodore was shuffling his foot back and forth, looking at his reflection in the floor tile, and then he looked up at Dave finally. "Y-yes, everything fine." He detached himself from his position in the doorway and hurried over to the stove, carefully moving the stool in front of the oven so he could reach the pot in question. After climbing up he inspected the potatoes which were already boiled and mashed. He looked to Dave for more instruction, but Dave just nodded to him encouragingly. "W-what should I put in them?" Theodore implored.

"Whatever you'd like, Theodore. Use your creativity."

Theodore turned back and stared at the potatoes. He felt stifled which was unusual for him when it came to matters of cooking. He blinked a few times when he thought he saw Alvin's face glaring up at him accusingly within the lumpy form of the starchy tubers. After shaking his head a few times, he focused his attention on the spice rack and went to work.

A second or so later, Simon appeared in the doorway, looking more serious and disgruntled than usual. He glared at Dave with such intensity that the man nearly dropped his chopping knife. "Simon? Everything all right?" Dave implored warily.

"Yes, Dave," came the monotone response. "What shall I do?"

He hadn't really needed to ask; Dave usually put Simon in charge of setting the table since Alvin was always too distracted to get it right. Under Alvin's care, each place setting would be missing a glass or a napkin, or have far too many knives. Dave thought it a much sounder process to get level-headed Simon to do it. Tonight was no different and Dave set Simon to the task. Quite some time passed and the potatoes had been seasoned, set in a baking dish along with Dave's special bean, onion and tomato sauce combination, and then placed into the oven to bake a vegetarian Sheppard's pie. Theodore, now in his element, had shed a bit of the trauma of Alvin's chastising and was stirring the concoction of peas and carrots purposefully while adding salt to the mix.

Dave was enjoying the peace as he pulled serving dishes from cabinets, but despite that, he remembered one of his sons was still missing. "Dave!" Theodore's exuberant voice called. "Can we have cranberry sauce too?"

Dave smiled as Theodore waved a can of cranberry sauce jubilantly in the air and he nodded permissively. "Sure, Theodore. You can use that dish right on the counter there. When you're finished, can you go get Alvin-"

"No!" Theodore suddenly squeaked, clutching the can tightly in his hand.

Dave blinked several times, as though he'd just told Theodore to go jump off a cliff (or possibly to do drugs in the early 1990s, har har). They looked at each other, both a little taken aback from the awkward exchange, and Dave knew something must have happened in the short time the boys had been upstairs. Theodore looked quite embarrassed and stepped down off of the stool, but before he could withdraw his outburst, Dave turned toward the dining room to address Simon. However, Simon had overheard the request and looked at Dave with such indirect distaste that Dave didn't dare ask again. He sighed and looked back to Theodore. "It's all right, Theodore. If you would, go ahead and check on the Sheppard's pie. It's probably done by now."

"Oh-OK, Dave." Theodore started stuttering again as he opened a drawer and extracted a can opener and an oven mitt.

Dave pressed his hand against a cabinet door to shut it before he trekked out of the kitchen to the base of the staircase. "Alvin," he called in a calm, yet audible voice. No response. Dave waited a second or two before trying again, drumming his fingers on the banister. "Alvin!" Silence. "ALLLLLVIIIIIIN!"

"WHAT?!"

Dave nearly slapped himself in the face out of frustration. "What do you mean, 'what'?" he called back in an incredulous voice that teetered precariously on anger. "I told you to come down and help with dinner! Get down here RIGHT NOW!"

"OK!!"

Another minute or two passed before Alvin bothered to show his face at the top of the stairs. He was redressed in a different (how could anyone tell?) red shirt with his initial embossed on the front. He blinked down at Dave, then lifted his nose in the air and strutted down the stairs as if Dave had been inconveniencing him. When he reached the bottom, Dave barred his path. "Alvin, listen to me. Sit down for a minute." Alvin hesitated, and then complied when he saw Dave's stern expression. He heaved a dramatic sigh and plopped down on the step. Dave usually remained standing when he lectured Alvin, just to convey the severity by towering over the boy. But this time, Dave knelt down and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Alvin, I know you're angry, and that's all right. However, you can't take this out on your brothers, and I DON'T want you making a fuss at dinner tonight."

Alvin's eyes narrowed as Dave said this. "Me? Make a fuss?"

"Alvin," Dave cut in with a louder voice. "I mean it. I don't want any yelling, screaming, arguing, jumping up on your chair-" Alvin grimaced as Dave covered all the bases of his signature tantrums. "We can talk about this together later, but tonight I want you to behave. Do you understand me?"

Alvin looked as though he was pondering the question, and another stern look from Dave sped along his deliberation. "Yes, Dave."

The hour had passed and the late afternoon sunlight was waning over the peaceful suburbs. Theodore and Simon had placed dinner on the dining table, while Alvin pretended to be useful by moping about in a circle throughout the kitchen. Dave had gone upstairs to change and clean himself up since he'd acquired a few stray tomato stains on his white button down. Finally, the doorbell rang, but Alvin's habitual cry of "I'll get it!" never followed. He had already taken his seat, slumped glumly in the middle chair along one side of the rectangular table. After the second ring, Simon realized Alvin hadn't raced to the door, and he took it upon himself to answer it himself.

He shuffled up to the door and reached for the knob, swinging it open wide to reveal four females of varying height and shape. "Good evening, ladies," he greeted, pressing the palm of his free hand to his sternum and executing a short bow.

The Chipettes and Ms. Miller were all squeezed in a bunch on the welcome mat, watching Simon's display of chivalry with varying degrees of interest. "Hello Simon, dear," Ms. Miller's aging but jovial voice came. "My, you're a regular little concierge, aren't you?"

"Hi Simon!" Eleanor squeaked, wiggling her fingers at him with her usual pleasant smile. Her pale blonde hair was done up in two braids which seemed to bounce in tune with her cheerfulness.

"Hi," Brittany offered, amused yet always baffled by Simon's proper tendencies. It was a rarity for a boy his age and she found it simply… "weird." She idly tapped some of the rhinestones that lined the hem of her jeans pocket while looking beyond Simon, expecting Alvin to be claiming the spotlight.

Instead, Theodore popped his head out from behind the doorman, smiling wide. "Hi girls, Ms. Miller! Dinner's ready, come in!" With that he disappeared again.

Brittany shifted her shoulders and strutted in past Simon who regarded her like he did most other females her age, but smiled earnestly as Eleanor passed and Ms. Miller squeezed her girth past as well. "Hello Jeanette," Simon managed, as Ms. Miller's butt finally stopped pressing him into the side of the door.

Jeanette had fallen behind and stood bashfully in the doorway. "Hi Simon," she breathed before walking past him.

Simon sighed deeply as he shut the door and followed them into the dining room. "Coming!" came Dave's urgent voice followed by the frantic thumping of his footfalls on the stairs.

"Oh there you are, David," Ms. Miller trilled as she patted Theodore on the head affectionately. "Hmmm, smells good!"

"Hello ladies," Dave replied in a huff as he reached the foyer, adjusting the collar of his shirt as he smiled at each of the girls and Ms. Miller in turn. "Have a seat, everything's ready."

"Here I'll get it!" Theodore announced as he watched Ms. Miller go for the empty seat at the head of the table. He grabbed the chair's backing and pulled it out for her.

"Thank you, dear!" She squeezed her ample cheeks into onto the chair cushion and let out a settling sigh. "Well aren't you boys just the very model of etiquette?" she added, pinching Theodore's cheek. Theodore tried to maintain his smile as she maimed his face with her fingers, then hurried over to help the girls with their chairs.

Alvin made some sort of a grunting noise as he sat with one foot pressed on the ridge of the table and his hat pulled over his eyes.

Dave caught glimpse of this and nearly popped a gasket. "Alvin…" he gurgled through clenched teeth. "Why don't you serve everyone…. Now…"

Alvin lifted the brim of his cap and glanced to Dave, whose expression was enough to make him take his foot off the table and get out of his chair. "OK…"

Simon moved next to Dave and looked up to him as if awaiting orders. Dave was keeping a close eye on Alvin who was poking at the serving dishes, but then noticed Simon. "Oh uh, how about you get some drinks for us please, Simon?"

"Surely," came the obedient response. "What would everyone like?"

"Orange juice, please!" Eleanor giggled as Theodore pushed her chair in with her on it.

"May I have some tea… if you have it, please?" Jeanette asked politely as Theodore quickly moved to pull her chair out.

Simon wondered if she expected him to brew some hot tea, but figured she'd enjoy iced tea well enough. He turned to Brittany to await her no doubt extravagant request.

"Water, please," she said when his attention was on her.

"Water for me too, sweetheart," Ms. Miller chimed in. "Got to watch our girlish figures, you know," she added with a playful look to Brittany who regarded her guardian morosely.

Alvin got a sly look on his face as he held the Sheppard's pie dish in his hands. Simon disappeared into the kitchen, already knowing what his brothers and father liked to drink at dinner, and Theodore had managed to seat everyone. "Here you go, Dave," he smiled, holding his father's chair out for him.

Dave finally started to relax as things appeared to be going at least "normally" for a dinner at the Seville house. "Thank you, Theodore," he said as he circled the table and took a seat at the opposite end as Ms. Miller.

Theodore hopped into the chair next to Dave and waited patiently as Alvin unceremoniously slopped some Sheppard's pie onto his plate. Theodore suddenly withdrew from his happy and active state when he saw the look Alvin shot him, and remembered his brother's earlier comments.

"Oh, serve the girls and Ms. Miller first please, Alvin," Dave instructed benevolently, just happy that Alvin seemed to be behaving thus far.

Alvin continued to glare at his brother as he passed behind Dave and moved on to Jeanette who smiled humbly as he continued spooning potatoes like they were in a mess hall. The corner of Dave's mouth twitched a bit but he remained calm. Brittany was watching Alvin with mild interest as she enjoyed watching him squirm under the pressure of Dave's parenting. Alvin arrived at Eleanor's side and delivered her portion, to which she thanked him happily. Alvin's despondent look twisted into a smug grin as he slinked over to Brittany, and dabbed a hopelessly small splotch of Sheppard's pie onto the very center of her plate. Brittany's eyes grew scandalized as she opened her mouth to complain when Alvin declared, "Wouldn't want to ruin the girlish figure."

Brittany's upper lip trembled as she strained to keep it from curling into a sneer while Alvin moved onto Ms. Miller. Just to be a further thorn in Brittany's side, he gave Ms. Miller just as generous a portion as he had everyone else. To alleviate some of the awkwardness, Simon finally returned with several drinks precariously balanced in his arms and hands. When he was finished, he shot Alvin a disparaging look as his brother had given him the same treatment as he had Brittany. Simon's eyes narrowed at Alvin as they both took their seats.

During the next dozen minutes, everyone had helped themselves to the side dishes, except for Simon, Alvin, and Theodore who seemed more than happy to nurse the Sheppard's pie wearily. The tension between the male side of the table was intense. Alvin sat engulfed in a cloud of quiet unrest, while Simon sat beside him, casting a torrent of silent shame in Alvin's direction. Theodore poked at his dinner with his fork, as if food once again was the least interesting thing in the world to him. Dave watched his boys and grimaced, then looked to Ms. Miller and the Chipettes who still appeared in good spirits and quite hungry.

"So, girls," he began in a grasping manner, "how was school this year?"

"Great," Jeanette smiled, fingering a pencil she just seemed to notice was resting behind her ear.

"It was fun," Eleanor chimed before digging back into her potatoes.

"Eh," Brittany murmured as she glanced across the table at the boys, more interested at why they looked like they were in a heap of trouble.

"And have you any plans for the summer?" Dave continued warily, as he'd already discussed the topic with Ms. Miller a few days earlier.

"Oh yes!" Jeanette abruptly beamed, wiping her mouth daintily with her napkin. "I am going to band camp in August. I've been learning the flute this year."

"A beautiful instrument," Simon suddenly offered. Jeanette blushed deeply and looked poignantly at her carrots and peas. Alvin gave his all not to roll his eyes.

"Yes, that's very nice, Jeanette," Dave said with an earnest smile. "What about you?" he continued, moving down the line to Eleanor.

Eleanor beamed just as sweetly as ever at Dave. "I've got summer league soccer. I'm playing striker this season!"

Theodore wanted to be bold like his brother and say how impressive he thought Eleanor was, but he was still out of sorts. Instead, Dave said just what he was thinking.

"That's very impressive, Eleanor. And you, Brittany?"

"Dance instruction," she replied carefully, swapping out the word 'classes' so Alvin couldn't retort with "yeah, you need 'em" like he usually did. To her surprise the boy said nothing.

"I see," Dave finished, putting his hands on either side of his place setting. A few more awkward moments passed and Ms. Miller gave Dave a surprisingly silent signal that he may as well go through with it.

"Ah, girls?" Three adorable sets of eyes rose to meet his. This was going to be tough. "I'm sorry to bring this up over dinner, but I thought it would be a good time for all of us to discuss this together." The Chipettes looked at each other curiously, then looked at the boys for some sort of explanation. As far as Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor knew, they hadn't gotten into trouble with the boys lately, so Dave was barking up the wrong tree if that was his qualm. "Some things have come up over the past several months and well..." Alvin's arms were crossed and he looked utterly obstinate yet again. "... it's been a tough decision, but we're going to take a break from recording." The girls still looked as though they didn't understand what Dave's speech was getting at. "What I mean is… I've chosen not to renew our contracts with Majestic Records." He saw Brittany's expression suddenly change. "For now," he quickly added. "I've got a lawsuit to deal with and well..." He glanced at his sons. "The boys need to get prepared for high school this fall and... what I want to say is, I'm retiring, temporarily-" he added again when Brittany started to look ill, "- from managing the Chipmunks and the Chipettes."

Alvin bristled visibly and the girls sat with their mouths agape. A silence hushed over the table again and the girls once again looked to the boys for an explanation. Suddenly, the pink-shirted girl stood up and pointed at Dave while looking at her sisters. "Can he do that??"

"Brittany, don't point at the table, dear," Ms. Miller said in a casual tone.

"But! But!"

"I'm sorry, Brittany," Dave sighed. "I know it's disappointing, but I'm just trying to do what's best for the boys."

"Best for them? What about best for me?"

"Brittany..." Eleanor coaxed, tugging on her sister's arm.

Dave bit his lip, wondering if Alvin and Brittany were always on an identical wavelength. "I know you didn't have any shows scheduled this summer and that you have other commitments, but I want to invite you to perform with the boys during the last three concerts-"

"Last!" Brittany squeaked.

"I'm sorry girls," Dave stated, resolutely. "I don't know what else to say."

"Simon! Alvin! Theodore!" Brittany cried, looking to each brother in turn. "You're really breaking up!?"

Simon's hand drew quickly to the side and pressed against Alvin's chest, reminding him that he was to remain calm during dinner. "We aren't breaking up. We're still the Chipmunks and you're still the Chipettes," Simon assured her. "We just need some time off."

Brittany nearly shook with a violent storm of emotions, none of which she could decide on letting out. Instead she flopped back down into her chair and let out a pitiful little whine that sounded like air being let out of a balloon.

Dave looked just as crushed, but tried to appear in control of the situation. "I wish I could do better for you, girls. Just give it some thought—the concerts that is. Please…"

Everyone had been plunged into deep thought and some degree of despair; even Ms. Miller was at a loss for words.

"…. Dessert… anyone?"

Everyone declined desert, even Theodore, but afterward the girls thanked Dave graciously for dinner and said their goodbyes. Brittany shot Alvin a tentative glare as she brushed by him on the way out the door. Alvin was in no mood for their normal exchange of teasing or arguing before they departed company, and he merely shrugged at her. After they'd all exited, Dave stood in the middle of the foyer surrounded by his sons.

"Well… I suppose… that could have gone worse," he muttered more to himself than to the boys. He looked down at them and they gazed back up with weary expressions. With a sigh, he knelt down and hugged each of them in turn. He embraced Alvin particularly tightly as he knew the boy must have been feeling a tempest of emotions but was holding them in with more discipline than Dave had ever seen in him. "I'll clean up, boys," he began when he let Alvin go. "You go ahead and watch TV if you like."

"I'm going to b-bed," Theodore whimpered, already halfway to the staircase. "G-good night."

Dave frowned but nodded. "All right, good night, Theodore."

"I'll be in my room," Simon murmured, following Theodore's lead.

"All right, Simon." Dave looked to Alvin and expected just as much.

"G'night, Dave," Alvin said, turning to wait for Simon and Theodore to disappear around the corner at the top of the stairs before making the climb himself.

Dave watched him go until he too disappeared from view before rubbing his hand over his messy hair had resigning himself to cleaning up.


	3. Lies and Video Games

"Alvin & the Chipmunks: An End Has a Start"

Fan fiction by Vilsy...

Disclaimer type stuff: I make no claim to "Alvin and the Chipmunks" or any related characters, names, etc. They are property of Bagdasarian Productions, Inc. c/o Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman as far as I am aware, and this is just a non-commercial textual tribute to their grandness.

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews as always! I really appreciate it. This chapter is a bit longer and fluffier, and the end is well… uber-fluff. I may rework it before all is said and done. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has comments! You'll also see that I've 'modernized' things a bit, but tried to stay vague enough not to say "This is 2007 and the Chipmunks are gangsta rapperz! roflcopter!" Sorry… just the bad taste of the new movie soundtrack coming out. Anyway… onto Chapter 3!!

Alvin jumped as the angry sound of stuttering plastic suddenly woke him from his sleep. He lay there for a moment staring at the ceiling, eyelids drooping again as he waited for his heart to slow down. When he finally came to the understanding that he was in bed and his cell phone was ringing and vibrating on his night table, he rolled over onto his side and groped around lazily for it. His fingers brushed against the phone a few times before he finally gathered the oomph to grasp it and hit the talk button.

"Hullo…?" he managed to wheeze in an exhausted voice.

"Alvin, we have to talk."

"Brittany?"

"Well duh! Who else would be calling you?"

"…… at 4 o'clock in the middle of the night? No one."

There was a slight pause on the other end as if Brittany had just realized how early in the morning it was. "Oh please, just get over it," she demanded with no real logical support on her side.

Alvin rolled onto his back and half yawned, half sneered at Brittany's disregard for normal people's sleeping patterns. "Whaddaya want, Britt?" he inquired after clearing his throat, but to no avail; he couldn't shake the raspy just-woke-up voice.

"We have to talk about us," the reply came in a very matter of fact tone. Alvin lifted himself up and rested on one elbow, suddenly feeling more awake at the sound of this. "I mean the Chipettes and Chipmunks," Brittany added quickly realizing her wording. "It's not fair! I don't want to end my career just because Dave says so!"

Alvin's brow furrowed and he leaned further forward, rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger. "Yeah I know, I know. But my stupid brothers—"

"Bring your brothers to the mall today at noon."

"Whu--?"

"I'll bring my sisters. We've gotta all talk about this and what we can do to fix it."

Alvin flopped back down onto his pillow and scratched his chest with his free hand. "Look, Britt, Simon hates me right now and Theodore won't even look at me. I doubt they'll want to go anywhere with me."

"Alvin," Brittany went on in a reprimanding tone, as if the fact his brothers hated him was a trivial matter. "Come on, just get them to the mall. We all need to talk about this if we're going to change Dave's mind."

Alvin sighed and gave in. "All right, Britt. I'll get them there. But just tell me one thing."

"What, Alvin?"

"Couldn't you have called later?" He was graced with silence, and a moment or two passed before he pulled the phone away from his ear and realized Brittany had hung up on him.

It was a rare phenomenon for Simon to set foot anywhere near a shopping mall unless it was under Dave's explicit instruction. Theodore could usually be bribed into going if a trip to the gourmet ice cream shop in the food court was promised. Alvin to could handle that much at least, but convincing Simon would prove more difficult. Alvin knew better than to ask Simon outright, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve that were worth a shot. Dave had gone to run various errands, so Alvin's scheme began to unfurl around 10 AM. Alvin did his homework, figuratively of course, and waited for his brothers to migrate to the TV room. Simon was sitting on the far end of the couch, engrossed in a book while Theodore sat on the opposite end. He was staring intently at a handheld video game system (you can't sue me Nintendo, kyahaha) clutched tightly in his hands, his tongue poking out a bit and pressing against the corner of his mouth. Alvin grinned at the sight and slinked casually through the doorway. "Hey guys!" he announced as though he hadn't seen them just a half hour before at breakfast.

Theodore quickly looked up from his game and smiled cheerfully, apparently forgetting how hurt he felt from Alvin's poor treatment the day before. "Hi Alvin!"

Simon lifted his eyes discreetly and nodded at his brother and turned the page of his book. "Hey."

"Whatcha playing, big T?" Alvin inquired, plopping down onto the couch in between his brothers and leaning over towards Theodore.

Theodore refocused on his game and continued playing. "Super Italian Pizza Cousins 3," he replied.

Alvin leaned back against the cushion and slid his hands behind his head and rested his left foot on his right knee. "Man, you haven't beaten that yet?"

Theodore lifted his nose slightly in a rare display of pride. "I have too. I'm just playing it again 'cuz it's my favorite game."

Alvin rolled his head to the side and stared at Simon for a moment, who completely ignored him and turned another page in his book. "You know, I think the new Super Italian Pizza Cousins came out last week."

"Really?" Theodore yelped, turning to look at Alvin with a surprised expression.

"Oh yeah, I read about it in game magazine the other day," Alvin lied as he bounced his foot against his knee. "Everybody's gonna want that game. They'll probably sell out of it pretty soon."

"Oh no! How did I miss this?" Theodore cried, practically dropping the handheld onto the floor. He turned to Alvin and grabbed a hold of his sleeve, shaking it desperately until Alvin looked over at him again. "Do you really think they'll sell out of it?"

Alvin sat up and patted Theodore's hand in a brotherly fashion before adjusting his sleeve. "Probably. We could always go to the mall and see if they have any left."

"Yes! Let's go!" Theodore exclaimed, jumping off the couch and fumbling the game into his pocket after shutting its power off.

Alvin couldn't believe how easy it was to get Theodore riled up, but he could have just as easily asked his little brother to go and achieve the same result. It was just the first act of the clever play he needed to put on to get Simon to tag along.

The bespectacled boy appeared as though he hadn't heard a single word of his brothers' conversation and flipped another page. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully in response to a particularly interesting passage he was reading, when Alvin stood up and stretched.

"Sure thing, Theo. I wanted to pick up Blood Massacre: The Slaughter anyway."

"What?!" Simon's voice suddenly emanated quite clearly despite half of his face being obstructed by the book; His eyes were the only features visible and were focused sternly on Alvin.

Theodore was so preoccupied puzzling out whether he had enough spending money for Super Italian Pizza Cousins 4 to hear Alvin's declaration or Simon's incredulous outburst. Alvin grinned mischievously at his brother. "You know, Blood Massacre: the Slaughter. I've been saving up for it."

"Isn't that game rated Mature, Alvin?" Simon continued in a chastising voice, lowering the book ever so slightly.

Alvin shrugged his shoulders and reached into his pocket, pulling out an obscene amount of cash for visual effect and counted it smugly. "Yeah, and?"

"AND…" Simon went on, raising his voice for equal effect. "Didn't Dave say you couldn't buy any M rated games?"

"He might have," Alvin said casually, glancing at Theodore who was busy counting his own pocket change. "But hey, what Dave doesn't know…"

"Alvin," Simon warned, finally lowering the book to his lap. "Why do you insist on going behind Dave's back all the time?"

Alvin feigned a look of sheer injury. "Me? Go behind Dave's back? Simon, you wound me!"

"He's going to find out," Simon replied simply with a look of arrogance that denoted he'd jump at the opportunity to snitch on his troublemaking brother.

Alvin dramatically feigned defeat and went in for the kill. "Fine… fine… I won't buy it then…" he heaved with a pitiful yet unmistakably fake sigh. Just to make his statement seem more like a horrible lie, he finished counted his money out and tucked it back securely into his pocket. "Let's go Theo." He turned his back on Simon whose teeth where just short of grinding. Alvin blinked as Theodore looked right back at him with one of the most crushed expressions he'd ever seen.

"A-Alvin? I don't think I have e-enough money," Theodore whimpered, clutching the bills tightly in his fingers. "I… I already spent my week's allowance…"

Alvin gave Theodore a reassuring smile. "No worries, big T. I'm sure I can cover ya."

Theodore's eyes lit up like the Fourth of July. "Really, Alvin?"

"Sure, sure. Let's hurry up and get going," he continued, counting down the seconds in his head before Simon interjected.

"I'm going with you," came the annoyed declaration as Simon slid off the couch dumped his book on the cushions. He marched up to his brothers, giving Alvin a haughty glare.

"Oh, you don't trust me?" Alvin gasped with an appalling look that could win him an Oscar.

"No, not really."

"Fine! Tag along. See if I care." He crossed his arms defiantly and before Simon could snap back, Theodore grabbed both of their arms and tugged impatiently on them.

"Let's go! I-I hope they didn't sell out!"

Simon pried his arm out of Theodore's grasp and marched towards the front door, Theodore hurrying after him. Alvin just smirked as his powers of deception and manipulation once again aided him in the minutest of tasks.

The bus ride to the mall took about half an hour and was riddled with enthusiastic banter about Super Italian Pizza Cousins 4. Theodore went on and on to Alvin who nodded with great interest, even though it was quite plain that he was listening to his CD player. Simon leaned back in the seat across from the two with a heavy, disgruntled look about him. He regretted forgetting his reading material as the ride was rather boring and he was forced to wrap his mind around why Alvin seemed so content. Simon was, after all, along to prevent him from buying an excessively violent video game that he seemed to crave so much. He thought Alvin would have resisted just a little bit more.

The bus at long last pulled into the mall parking lot and sailed to a stop by one of the entrances.

"And—and I hope there'll be tougher bosses in this one," Theodore mused as he hopped off the bus. He turned back, remembering his usual manners. "Thank you!" he announced to the driver who nodded back and welcomed him. Alvin and Simon unceremoniously descended the steps—Alvin with his hands tucked into his pockets and Simon with his arms defiantly crossed and an uninterested demeanor to complement it.

"Theodore," Simon suddenly said as his little brother started marching towards the mall entrance with resolve. "Let's get your game then go right home."

Theodore glanced over his shoulder with a questioning look on his face, but nothing Simon said could really bother him so long as he got his game. Simon hadn't meant anything by it other than his general disinterest in the mall, besides the book store. His suspicion of Alvin's quick surrender and willingness to share his allowances with Theodore was enough for him to want to go in and get out promptly.

Alvin kept checking his watch as the three of them strolled into the massive shopping mall. Their senses were barraged with the dull buzz of people talking and with bright lights and colorful storefronts. Alvin loved the mall--not so much for shopping but for the reactions he'd get when someone recognized him. Hanging out by the central fountain was the highlight of any mall excursion and he knew Brittany felt the same way. The game store wasn't far from the mall's rotunda so he thought he'd keep up his little charade for a bit longer.

When they reached the game store, Theodore ran directly toward the counter and was appalled when he realized he'd have to wait in line like everyone else. Alvin stood to the side with his hands resting at the small of his back. He glanced towards Simon who returned a scrutinizing glare. The bespectacled boy was determined not to let Alvin violate Dave's 'no violent games' decree. When Alvin didn't stir from his spot near the end of the counter, Simon feigned interest in the wall of new arrivals in the hopes Alvin would slip up. Theodore looked like he needed to use the restroom as the line moved hopelessly slow for his taste. After a few minutes, it was finally his turn. He stood in front of the glass counter and smiled mirthfully at the clerk—a young man who looked like he'd much rather be playing games than selling them. "May I help you?" he asked in an almost resentful tone.

"Yes! I'll take a copy of Super Italian Pizza Cousins 4, please!"

The clerk stared at him for a moment before asking, "Do you mean Pizza Cousins 3?"

Theodore's head immediately shook. "No, I have that one. I want the new one that just came out. Ah, please."

"Sorry, that doesn't come out until July 20th," the clerk reported, motioning to a sign that confirmed the fact, plain as day, behind him.

"Wha- what?!"

Theodore's pale eyes shimmered with disappointment as he leaned heavily against the counter. All his dreams and happiness seemed to have been unscrupulously shot down like in Water Fowl Hunters. The clerk, numb to the chipmunk's pain, merely glanced at the next customer in line while mentioning, "You can preorder it for five bucks if you like." Theodore seemed too crushed by the fact that he couldn't have it in his hands at that very moment to hear the clerk's dismissive suggestion. Alvin, however, was on top of things.

"We'll do that," he said, nudging Theodore with his elbow and laying down some cash on the counter. "Sorry about that, Theodore," he added softly to the side where his brother stood. "I guess I read the magazine wrong."

Theodore shook his head quickly and shuffled his sneaker against the ugly Berber carpet. "Oh, that's okay, Alvin. It was an honest mistake." He blinked at the stack of bills Alvin had slapped onto the glass counter. "You don't have to pay for it..."

"I insist," Alvin interjected, resting his hand on the counter and wiggling his fingers in wait for a receipt as the clerk picked up the money and started a transaction. Once he received it, he generously handed the piece of paper to Theodore who took it graciously.

"Gee, thanks so much, Alvin! That's really, really nice of you!" he praised as he folded the receipt with great love and care. "And thanks you, mister!" he directed at the clerk who nodded and bid them a nice day. Theodore hastily got out of way of the next person in line and ran up to Simon and showed him the glorious speck of paper." Look Simon! It hasn't come out yet, but Alvin reserved Super Italian Pizza Cousins 4 for me!"

"That's riveting, Theodore," Simon said, not so much to demean his little brother's joy but to exude further suspicion towards Alvin. "You'd better hold on tightly to that receipt," he added in suggestion. Alvin sauntered over to his brothers, hands in his pockets, and an awkward moment of silence ensued. Simon squinted at his crimson-clad brother and waited for any dubious actions.

"Well, whaddya say we get some ice cream before we go home?"

"All right!" Theodore chimed before Alvin had even finished the sentence.

"That's it? You're done?" Simon inquired, leaning forward as if to smell the deceit coming off of his brother.

"Well yeah."

"You're not going to... look around?"

Alvin chuckled. "Why? Did you want me to, Simon?"

Simon stood up straight again and lifted an eyebrow. Alvin was underhanded but Simon had never known him to steal, so that ruled out the possibility that his brother had somehow lifted the game. Simon had of course been watching Alvin the whole time, and all the games were locked up behind glass. Simon felt guilty that the thought had even crossed his mind. In fact, he felt even worse knowing he could have probably stayed home. "No, let's go. Ice cream sounds wonderful." He turned and started walking out of the store, determined to have some sort of enjoyment for his troubles.

Alvin grinned and patted Theodore on the back who looked up at him and smiled ear to ear, and then they followed Simon outside.

To reach the food court, they of course had to pass the fountain in the center lobby to get to the escalator. Alvin was the first to spot the Chipettes sitting around the fountain, but pretended as though he hadn't noticed them. Theodore's mind was firmly set on which ice cream flavor to choose, but Simon glanced over at them. "Aren't those the girls?" he said as they neared the fountain.

"Well, I do believe you are right. What a coincidence," Alvin replied in the most matter-of-fact tone imaginable. He was already veering off in the girls' direction. "Why don't we go say hello?"

Theodore stopped walking, and then quickly changed directions, favoring to see the girls over ice cream. Simon grimaced as he was left behind. He stood there and shook his head before finally deciding to bite the bullet and follow his brothers. "Please let this be painless..."

"Hi girls!" Alvin greeted in an obnoxiously loud voice. His jovial grin was met with a smirking Brittany with arms folded and foot tapping.

"You're late!" she scolded, pointing a finger at Alvin's nose.

"Nice to see you too, Brittany!" Alvin continued without a hitch. He waved his fingers at Eleanor and Jeanette who waved back. "Hi Eleanor, hey Jeanette."

"Hi Alvin!"

"Hello Alvin."

Theodore stood aloof and blushed a little as Eleanor smiled and patted the space between her and her sister Jeanette on the rim of the bubbling fountain. "Hi Simon and Theodore! Come sit with us!"

Obediently, Theodore trotted over and Jeanette scooted over so he could sit. She shifted her eyes over to Simon who showed little interest in following suit. Instead, he took a step towards Alvin and Brittany, his arms crossed once again. "Oh yes, it's quite the coincidence to run into you girls here, isn't it?"

"Coincidence? I told Al-" Brittany let out a squeak as Alvin put his hand over her mouth and grinned at Simon.

"Yep, it's a coincidence all right! But while we're here, why don't we all sit down and have a nice convers-"

"Alvin, I know what this is about," Simon snapped. "I thought you said you were going to drop this. I can't believe you dragged us out here just to beat a dead horse."

Alvin chuckled and raised a finger on his free hand in contradiction. "No one's beating any horses, Simon. I didn't buy Blood Massacre, remember?"

"Alvin! You know what I mean. If you and Brittany want to argue about this own your own, be my guest. Come on, Theodore."

Theodore was torn as he sat with his feet swinging against the side of the fountain. He turned to Eleanor who looked just as at a loss as he did. Theodore was about to slide off of his seat and follow Simon when Brittany forced Alvin's hand away from her mouth. "Ohhhh, no you don't." She stormed over to Simon and slipped in front of him, barring his path to the exit. She uncouthly jabbed her index finger into the lanky boy's chest. "Simon, you're just as much involved in this as Alvin is. We ALL have to talk about this together!"

Simon was jostled by Brittany's oh-so gentle treatment, and he paused to readjust his glasses. "While your cunning powers of persuasion are impressive, Brittany, I regretfully decline."

Brittany's skin was turning uncomfortably red and her mouth opened wide to give Simon a tongue lashing, but Jeanette saw fit to intervene.

"S-Simon? I'm sorry if you didn't want to talk to us," she said in a soft voice while pushing her own glasses further up onto her nose. Simon turned to look back at the others and focused on Jeanette for the first time. His gaze made her blush just as Theodore had blushed at Eleanor earlier, but she continued on. "But maybe if we just talked about it a little more, Brittany would leave you guys alone about it."

"HA! Speak for yourself, Jeanette!" Brittany hissed, but Simon pulled away from her and walked towards the fountain.

"Fine. If it helps you get it off your chest-" Jeanette blushed even deeper at this, "I'll stay. But then we're going home, ALVIN."

"Whatever works for you, bro," Alvin shrugged with an innocent smile.

"Ah, Eleanor? Would you... like some ice cream?" Theodore suddenly inquired, patting his knees with his fingers nervously.

"Sure, that's a good idea, Theodore!" Eleanor agreed with a smile. "How about we all go upstairs and have ice cream while we talk?"

The other four concurred, as it at least gave Simon, Brittany and Alvin the chance to scowl at each other. Alvin strode his way up the down escalator and managed to beat the rest of them to the top, even after weaving around angry shoppers.

Theodore and Eleanor were impressed with his athletic feat, while Jeanette expressed some sedated amusement. Brittany and Simon secretly wished his shoe lace would have gotten caught in the machinery, or that he would lose his footing. However when they both thought of the consequences of such things, they both pushed the terrible ideas from their heads. Alvin was annoying and manipulative but didn't deserve to be maimed.

The tension was alleviated to a degree once they were all sitting in the food court with ice cream. Brittany poked idly at her cherry fat-free (and mostly tasteless) frozen yogurt while glaring impatiently around the table. Simon watched pointedly as Jeanette shaped her soft serve ice cream into some sort of artistic sculpture, while Eleanor and Theodore were sharing their sundaes with each other. Alvin's feet were up on the table and he blew bubbles through his straw and into his root beer float; he seemingly had forgotten why there were all there in the first place. Brittany decided to remind everyone.

"All right!" she declared, pushing her frozen yogurt aside and standing up. "I call this meeting to order!" Everyone looked up from their ice cream and glared at their moderator. She continued to look around the table as if critically surveying her less-than-competent committee. "OK, listen up. We're here because we need to talk about this whole breaking up thing."

"I told you, we're not—"

"Silence!" Brittany demanded in a no-less-than regal voice that sent Simon into a sort of stupor. She planted her hands firmly on her hips and lifted her nose, gazing down on everyone as though she was the queen of the food court. "Everyone will get their turn to speak. First, me."

"Naturally," Alvin smirked in a hushed, sarcastic tone. Brittany overheard and gave him the evil eye.

Her air of royalty toned down a bit when she started speaking again. "Look guys, you can't really want this! I mean our careers are just starting!" She whipped her arms above her head as if this fact alone was blatantly obvious. "We're famous! We get to go all around the world and sing in front of thousands of cute boys!" She paused, noticing she'd lost the chipmunks on this point. "And you know… girls too or whatever." Her eyebrow twitched when she saw Alvin's smug grin and nod of agreement with this last statement. "Well whatever!" she huffed, pushing the tinge of jealously out of her mind. She lifted her nose elegantly back in the air and brushed her bangs away from her eyes. "The point is that DAVE apparently thinks we shouldn't make music or perform anymore!" Simon raised his hand, wise to Brittany's mannerisms, and waited for her approval. Brittany gave him a look that could kill, but honored his acknowledgement of her supposed power over them all. "Yes, Simon?"

"Thank you," he grumbled, dusting a crumb or two of his long-since-eaten ice cream cone from his shirt. "Dave does not think we should quit singing. We can sing all we like. The only thing he thinks we should quit is slacking with our schooling." Most eyes fell to Alvin who chose to ignore the attention for once. Simon continued before Brittany could interrupt. "And schooling has been difficult to keep up on with recording sessions, concerts, tours, publicity…"

"But I like all those things!" Brittany interjected, slamming her hands down on the table, causing the others to jump. "I don't care about school if it means giving those up!"

Simon crossed his arms and shook his head defiantly. "Sorry to hear you say that, Brittany, but Dave made the decision for us, and we have to respect it."

"But Dave's not our father!" Brittany steamed, leaning closer across the table as if to bite Simon's head off. "Right?" she demanded, whipping around to Jeanette and Eleanor. Her two sisters looked like deer caught in headlights and said nothing.

"That may be," Simon continued, unfazed. "But Dave is your manager, and since we are all minors, he calls the shots when it comes to business."

Brittany's fingers tensed against the cold table and she searched for something witty to say to combat Simon's cool logic. "Well… well that's not fair! Just because Alvin's an idiot and you're a nerd doesn't mean we should—"

"Hey, who're you calling an idiot?!" Alvin suddenly burst out, taking his feet off of the table and addressing Brittany.

Brittany stood up straight again and folded her arms defensively, realizing her mistake. "So what, Alvin? You're on Simon's side now?" she said quickly, in hopes of confusing the boy into forgetting her insult.

"No!" Alvin sneered as if the very thought of her accusation was pure insanity. He received another incredulous glare from his brother, reminding him that Simon didn't think much of him at the moment either. He finally stood up and inched over to Brittany as if her words had jogged his loyalties. "Brittany's right, Dave can't do this to us! It isn't fair to me… or the Chipettes. Or you… or Theodore!" Alvin closed his eyes and nodded, proud that he remembered to include everyone present in his argument. "School," he added with an amused chuckle. "There'll always be school. But singing in front of a cheering crowd…" he continued, grabbing Brittany's spoon from her yogurt and holding it up to his face like a microphone. "Dancing across the stage…" He grabbed Brittany's arm with his free hand and gave it a tug, spinning her in a quick circle against her will. "Signing autographs…" He stopped Brittany from turning and traced his initial onto her cheek with his finger. Brittany huffed at him and gently slapped him away with her hands.

"Right," she cut in before Alvin did anymore noisy pantomime. "So we've all got to tell Dave that we're not gonna take it."

"No! We're not gonna take it!" Alvin sang out dramatically, fists in the air. Brittany elbowed him in the ribs.

"So who's got suggestions?" she demanded and resolutely crossed her arms again.

All remained silent except for the low hum of other people around them in the food court. Theodore, Eleanor and Jeanette all seemed to be in a daze from the conversation between the others, and Simon just sat there with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Listen, Alvin, Brittany," he finally said when it was clear that no one else had any opinions on the matter. "I love what we do. But we are going to high school next year, and I personally want to dedicate my time and effort towards that." Alvin and Brittany both leaned together and open their mouths but Simon quickly continued. "Dave is worn out; I've been noticing for several months now. It's unfair to make selfish demands of him, and at this point he just isn't going to change his mind. Yes, he's our manager, but we are also his sons and we should honor his decision." He held up his hand to silence Brittany who raised a defiant finger. "I'm sorry the Chipettes had to get mixed up in this, but business is business. Instead of whining, you should focus on the concerts we have lined up over the summer. Dave was gracious enough to invite you to join us."

Brittany nearly threw herself across the table at Simon for his poor choice of words, but Alvin grabbed her shoulders at the last moment.

"Why you little! I'll show you whining!" she bellowed, swinging her arms wildly. "I REFUSE to have my LAST performance sharing the stage with YOU guys! Eleanor, Jeanette! Tell this high and mighty dork here that—"

"Brittany," Eleanor finally said, standing up from her chair and walking over to her sister and Alvin. "Simon's right…"

"WHAT!?" Brittany and Alvin snapped in unison.

"Well, what I mean is," Eleanor continued, holding onto Brittany's arm. "I think Dave has our best interests in mind. And… he does work really, really hard for all of us. We aren't his daughters, but he's always been there for us too. He does deserve a break, don't you think?"

Jeanette poked idly at her ice cream and shifted her large blue eyes to her sisters. "They're right, Britt. Maybe we all need a break..."

"You're all crazy!" Brittany practically spat as she wrenched her arm away from Eleanor. Alvin continued to hold her back, but she violently shook her shoulders out of his grasp with a sneer. "Get OFF of me, Alvin!"

"Be cool, will ya Brittany? I'm just trying to help you!" Alvin retorted, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm.

"You're in my way!"

"What!? Well you're in my way!"

"You're ALWAYS in my way!"

"OH YEAH?"

"YEAH!"

"Well you're just lucky Dave even invited YOU to be in OUR show!"

"Ugh! I'd rather DIE than have to share my last concert with YOU, Alvin!"

Eleanor had hastened back to her seat and she and the others watched Brittany and Alvin's abrupt fight like a tennis match.

Simon slumped against the cold, hard, wire chair and was filled with such resentment of the situation he was locked in. Brittany and Alvin's constant bickering was a paradox he couldn't take much more of; quite frequently they were on the same side but managed to fight regardless. "I'm going home," he announced plainly as he stood up and pushed back his chair. "See you later, Theodore." Simon's mind was so tied up that he'd forgotten to say goodbye to the girls as he pushed his chair in and turned to leave.

"Wait, Simon!" Theodore begged, standing up as well and holding out his hand as if Simon had said goodbye forever.

Simon stopped walking and turned to look back at his little brother. "You can stay, Theodore. Finish your ice cream."

"B-but I don't wanna ride the bus a-alone," he whimpered, at risk of sounding like a baby in front of Eleanor.

"Ride home with Alvin."

"B-but..." Theodore glanced sheepishly towards Alvin and Brittany, not wanting to have anything to do with them at the moment.

Eleanor stood up as Brittany nearly elbowed her in the face from her continuing argument with Alvin. "You won't be alone, Theodore," she coaxed with a patient smile, resting her hand on his arm. "I'll ride the bus with you and Simon."

"Me too," Jeanette added, picking up her cup of ice cream as they all planned their escape from their feuding brother and sister.

And just like that, they took what was left of their ice cream and started walking away, with not so much of a word to Alvin or Brittany who continued to shout at each other. A minute or so passed before either of them even noticed they were alone.

"You're such an idiot, Alvin!" Brittany was yelling as she grabbed the boy's collar. She blinked a few times when she saw the empty table out of the corner of her eye. "What the heck? Where did they go?"

Alvin pulled his shirt out of Brittany's grasp and dusted himself off. "Nice going, Godzilla. You scared them all away."

"I scared them away? You started it!"

"Are you kidding me? You're the one that called me an idiot, twice!"

"That's because you ARE an idiot!"

"Three times!"

"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"

Alvin clenched his fists tightly and gave Brittany a rather threatening look, but the girl merely crossed her arms and shifted her hips to the side in a "I dare you" sort of way that brought Alvin to his senses. He pulled his hat off of his head and ran his fingers through his fuzzy hair with a deep sigh. "Look, Britt," he murmured in a defeated tone. "This obviously ain't gonna work if you and I aren't on the same side. Everybody else has lost their minds or something... like they WANT to end our careers or something..."

"I just don't get it! We've got it all! Why would they want to throw it all away?" Brittany sighed, returning to her whining mode.

Alvin put his hat back on and slammed a fist into his palm like a judge's gavel. "They've all been brainwashed by Dave, I tell ya. Dave must have learned some sort of hypnosis powers while I wasn't paying attention."

"Alvin... don't be ridiculous," Brittany smirked, crossing her arms and shaking her head at him.

"Oh, you don't think it's possible?" Alvin grinned, putting his hands on his hips.

Brittany groaned but went along with the line of questioning. Alvin never quite grew out of his fascination of the 'unknown' or rather, the weird stuff he watched at 1 o'clock in the morning on infomercials and cheesy horror movies. "OK, smart guy. If Dave's a hypno..si..tist... a hypno-- If Dave can hypnotize people, then why didn't it work on us? Hmm?"

"Well, we must posses some sort of warding amulets that counteract the effects..." he went on with a straight face. "Let's see... maybe I can find yours..."

Brittany's disinterested gaze turned to one of sheer horror as Alvin advanced on her with fingers outreached. "No, Alvin! Get away from me!" she warned, backing up into her chair and nearly tripping over it.

Alvin quickly grabbed her wrists and caught her before she fell, but his act of chivalry converted to an act of terrorism as he placed his fingers on her hips and proceeded to tickle her without mercy. Brittany screamed as though she had been stabbed, but then burst into high-pitched giggles. "Hmm, no, not there," Alvin grinned as he went for her armpits.

"Noooo!" she howled, practically curling up into a ball as she giggled hysterically. It was rare to best Brittany in an argument, but Alvin had figured out over the years that this was the best way to do it. Not only did it render her veritably speechless, but it embarrassed her more than anything, especially in public. Brittany dared to move her arms away from her side in an attempt to bat Alvin's hands away and then attempted to make her escape. She wiggled away from him and ducked under his arm, trotting off to the end of the food court, all the while shouting, "Don't touch meeeee!"

Despite all the glares and stares he received from onlookers who had heard the girl's screams, Alvin chased after her, cackling maniacally.


	4. A Dutiful Truce

"Alvin & the Chipmunks: An End Has a Start"

Fan fiction by Vilsy...

Disclaimer type stuff: I make no claim to "Alvin and the Chipmunks" or any related characters, names, etc. They are property of Bagdasarian Productions, Inc. c/o Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman as far as I am aware, and this is just a non-commercial textual tribute to their grandness.

**A/N:** I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Sorry for the delay in this chapter update, but I'm still working on the story slowly but surely! This chapter is sort of "filler" and though it pains me to say that I hope you enjoy it anyway! It's probably poor taste to advertise here… but if you like Chipmunks stuff and you'd like to check out my new Chipmunks site in the works, you can find it at www dot chipmunksunderground dot com . Thanks for your support and keep on readin'!

While his boys were out gallivanting at the mall, Dave was none-the-wiser as he ran his errands. He journeys had brought him finally to the Miller residence. He parked his car in the driveway next to Ms. Miller's extravagantly pink Caddy and heaved a sigh before making the trek up to the door. After climbing the shallow steps, Dave hesitated to ring the doorbell. Sliding one hand into his pocket, Dave scratched his head as if wondering if he should show his face at the Millers' house so soon. He knew the girls were probably still quite cross with him, Brittany especially. Perhaps it would be in everyone's best interest if he stayed away and let everybody cool off. He nodded a few times to himself and was going to about-face when the door suddenly opened and Ms. Miller nearly plowed him over.

"Oh!" she squeaked as Dave just about tumbled back down the stairs. "I've been waiting for you, Mr. Postman! Have you brought my diet magazines today?"

"It's me, Ms. Miller," Dave said in his 'why me?' tone as he regained his balance.

Ms. Miller blinked at the man a few times before giving him the most befuddling of looks. "When did you get a job at the post office, David?"

Dave shook his head vehemently. "Sorry Ms. Miller, I was just stopping over to visit. This is probably a bad time, so I'll just be--"

"Nonsense, David! Come in! Come in!" the portly woman insisted, grabbing Dave by the arm and nonchalantly dragging him inside the door, shutting it behind her with a flick of her backside. "I've got a pot of coffee on as we speak!"

"But Ms. Miller, I-" Dave's protest did him little good as the old yet energetic lady practically carried him into her kitchen and deposited him at the table. "Ms. Miller," he continued in a pleading voice, now regretting his decision to show up on her doorstep. "I really couldn't inconvenience you--"

"Oh don't be silly, David," she chirped back, dancing over to the coffee pot. "It's the very least I could do after that nice dinner." After a moment or two, she shimmied back over to the table where Dave reluctantly sat waiting. "Here you go, David," she offered as she placed a huge mug of what appeared to be molasses in front of her guest.

Dave blinked several times at the concoction before reaching for the mug handle and agitating it a bit, just to see if it was really coffee as Ms. Miller claimed. The gooey black substance inside wobbled jovially like Santa Claus' belly within the confines of the cup. The corner of Dave's mouth twitched as he smiled patronizingly at the rotund old lady.

"It's my special blend. Extra strength," she explained with an air of pride in her voice as she took a seat across from Dave.

"Thank you," Dave finally managed to say as he fiddled idly with the mug. "And thanks for last night with the girls."

"Don't mention it!" Ms. Miller said abruptly, patting what was left of her white hair with her fingers. "Wouldn't miss your beans and potatoes for the world, David!"

Dave laughed and slid his fingers around the rim of the mug, swearing he saw a gelatinous bubble form and pop within. "Well, I mean thanks for supporting me on all this. I know it broke the girls' hearts, and I guess I wanted to come over to apologize to them properly."

"Ohh, pish posh, David," Ms. Miller declared with a shrug. "The girls will be fine. They've got other activities to occupy their little minds with. No use letting things get out of hand before they come of age."

Dave nodded curtly, wondering if Ms. Miller was speaking from her own experiences as an entertainer, but thought that was a conversation for a later time, if ever. "I know they're not my girls so I hate to have my parental decision affect them. But with the boys... I'm just seeing so much strain on Theodore and Simon. And Alvin-"

Ms. Miller pursed her lips and leaned forward with her bulbous chin resting on her knuckles. Apparently she found Dave's reports on Alvin's bad behavior to be fascinating. "Mmhmmm...?"

Dave heaved a sigh before sitting back and sliding the palm of his hand slowly down his face. "Alvin... there's no end to his obsession with being the center of everything. He doesn't seem to have any other interests besides being a musician, which of course is all right. Except he hates school, can't stop telling lies, is always getting into trouble, is impolite, lazy, alienates Simon and Theodore, really seems to believe that he deserves getting his way all the time--" Even Ms. Miller was troubled by the length of Dave's list of Alvin's flaws. Dave noticed the distressed look he was getting and continued on. "The bottom line is... I think he's spoiled."

"You don't say, David," Ms. Miller said with a satisfied grin.

"Yeah yeah, I know," Dave mumbled, knowing they'd both been through this conversation before. "I don't want Alvin to end up like that. I want him to realize that there's more to life than fame and money, or else I think I've failed him as a father."

"Oh David, don't you say such things," Ms. Miller implored, putting her hands down on the table resolutely. "I know you love each one of those boys intensely and you're the best father I've ever known, I'll tell you that." Dave blushed discreetly and nodded in appreciation. "But if you keep letting that little Alvin have his way, he'll never learn and won't have respect for nobody. Not even himself."

Dave was used to defending Alvin whenever someone else pointed out the boy's shortcomings. Even though he agreed 100 with the accusations, something inside of him was always compelled to say something in the boy's behalf. This had always been a strange habit of his and in reality a subconscious mechanism to remind Dave that he was the one raising the kid. He felt there was lots of good in Alvin and was frustrated that the boy rarely showed it, and inside Dave felt it was his own doing. He lowered his head and glared at the warped reflection of his face in his coffee mug. His grip on the handle grew alarmingly tight and his hand was visibly shaking. Ms. Miller was about to say something else when Dave began talking again, seemingly not to her, but more like reciting a monologue aloud. "Ever since I found those boys I've loved them, but I wasn't always a father. I dressed them up like girls on accident... I didn't know what to feed them, didn't know how to care for them... and as soon as they started talking I was dumbfounded completely." Ms. Miller watched him silently and shifted her eyes down thoughtfully. "Maybe... maybe it was a mistake to do what I did. That winter... Theodore was so adorable. They were so happy to sing for me and they sounded so sweet together." He paused and gazed out the window in silence as if recounting it all in his head. "People just ate it up..."

"Well, they are talented little things, aren't they?" Ms. Miller offered fondly.

"They are," Dave confirmed, with less pride than usual. He leaned his chin on his palm and continued staring out the window at nothing in particular. "Thinking back on it now, I can't help but feel as though I took advantage of them."

"Whatever do you mean, David?" Ms. Miller asked, surprised by this statement.

Dave brought the mug up to his mouth but paused before the gelatinous substance could reach his lips, then put the cup back down to reply. "I brought them into this... life of celebrity at such a young age. It's really all they know. I never thought how it might affect them in the long run, you know? I just knew that everyone loved them and they seemed to be having the time of their lives."

"Would you like cream and sugar, David?" Ms. Miller asked out of the blue when she noticed he hadn't drank a single sip.

"Ah, no thanks," he said quickly, not certain he wanted to see what chemical reactions would occur as a result. "Anyway, now that they're teenagers, I'm worried about all the changes they're going through--"

"Oh it's the same with the girls, David."

Dave went on quickly before Ms. Miller offered to go into detail. "Simon isn't nearly as interested in performing as he used to be. He's been getting really moody lately and that worries me."

"Oh that's just teenagers for ya, David," Ms. Miller smiled, as if Simon's excessively bleak sarcasm was a joy to behold.

David tapped his fingers against the side of the mug pensively, not certain that he could explain away Simon's behavior so easily. "And well, Theodore... even as he's gotten older, he still hasn't broken out of that shell of his..."

Ms. Miller looked slightly confused, as she took most things literally. "I thought chipmunks were mammals, David."

Dave chose to ignore her statement and continued on with his reflection. "Still so introverted and timid... he told me he's scared to go to high school. I really want to focus on helping him get that confidence I know he has inside. I can see it so clearly when he's singing, but for some reason it just doesn't carry with him in anything aside from that." Dave slid his fingers though his hair and sighed. "Maybe it's because of this music career... he doesn't know how to deal with anything outside of it."

"David..." Ms. Miller began softly. She did not take any joy in listening to Dave beat himself up.

"And Alvin..." Dave said again as if someone had just kicked him in the shin. "I just don't know what to do for that boy. I just want to give them all a chance at a normal life!" A moment or two passed spent in awkward silence, save for the soft gurgling noise the coffee-substance made inside of Dave's mug. "Anyway," he continued with a slight tinge of embarrassment in his voice. "Are the girls home? I'd like to apologize to them again."

Ms. Miller sat up and adjusted herself in the chair. "Sorry David, the girls went to the mall a couple hours ago. You know how girls are. They'll probably be there all day."

In truth, Jeanette and Eleanor had ridden the bus with Simon and Theodore, said their goodbyes when they reached their stop, and were now on their way home. It was a beautiful, warm summer day and the girls had wanted to spend more time with the two boys, but Simon's dismal mood told them that another time would be better.

"That didn't go so well, huh Jeanette?" Eleanor sighed, kicking a rock along the sidewalk as they went.

"No," Jeanette squeaked, reflecting on how annoyed Simon had seemed the whole time.

"Brittany and Alvin are really upset about all this. I can't really blame them," Eleanor continued, kicking the rock with her opposite foot. "I mean, we've sang and performed our whole lives. It's weird to think we'd have to stop."

"But we don't have to stop," Jeanette interjected softly, watching as a group of boys rode their bicycles down the opposite side of the street. "Simon said so. We can still sing, just like we did before we even met the Chipmunks or Dave."

The two girls walked close at hand, both trying to think back to the time when they didn't know the Sevilles or Ms. Miller. It seemed like an eternity since then. Eleanor remained silent, choosing not to continue on the subject.

Jeanette looked to her sister searchingly, but figured it was a subject best left alone for the time being. "Have you got soccer practice today, Ellie?"

Eleanor's face went flush and she suddenly looked very guilty. "I did, but Brittany wanted to talk to the boys so badly about all this that I decided to skip it."

"What?" Jeanette piped much louder than she normally spoke. So much so that Eleanor jumped a bit and looked up at her sister in alarm. "Eleanor, you never skip practice!"

"I know, but..."

Jeanette stopped in her tracks and glared at Eleanor urgently. "Well, is it already over by now?" she asked, pulling one of her sleeves back and looking at the face of her watch.

Eleanor gave the stone a final punt and it skipped across the sidewalk into someone's front lawn. She lifted her wrist and examined her sports watch. "No, we usually go on for another half an hour yet." She let out a yelp when Jeanette suddenly pushed her firmly along again.

"Well come on, Ellie! Let's get you to the field then!"

Eleanor tripped over her feet but steadied herself into a quick walk as Jeanette ushered her along. She was surprised, but she smiled happily at the fact that Jeanette cared so much about her athletic endeavors. Plus, spending time with Jeanette away from Brittany was always a pleasant experience and helped the two sisters bond in peace.

The afternoon rolled onward and Dave resigned himself to leave Ms. Miller and her coffee in favor of returning home. He concluded that there would be another time to apologize to the girls; it wouldn't do to deprive them of such a fine summer day anyhow. As he backed out of the driveway and drove down the avenue towards home, he wondered what his boys were doing and if they were getting along. As he devised ideas to put them all in better moods, he failed to notice Alvin and Brittany walking by on the sidewalk in the opposite direction.

"Was that Dave that just drove by?" Brittany mused as she took a moment to look over her shoulder.

"Doubt it," Alvin said absently with his hands tucked in his front pockets. His attention was drawn to some children giggling and splashing in a kiddy pool while a parent playfully sprayed them with the garden hose. "Gees, it's hot today," he complained as he took his cap off to wipe the sweat from his hairline.

"Then don't walk so close to me," Brittany suggested in a matter-of-fact tone as they trekked up the sidewalk toward her house. She hadn't invited Alvin to tag along, but when they arrived at her bus stop, he had hopped off with her. She was hoping he would get distracted by something before they reached her house; she was still annoyed that there was very little 'pep' in their pep talk at the mall. She was angrier at Simon for tearing down all of her arguments, but she chose to direct her frustration at Alvin. His next comment only fueled this.

Alvin let out an amused guffaw in response to her suggestion. "You're not that hot, Britt, don't flatter yourself," he informed, sliding his arms behind his head in a satisfied manner.

Brittany gave her walking companion a look of sheer disgust and covered her nose dramatically with her hand. "Oh Alvin! Put your arms down, you're killing me!"

Alvin blinked several times. "What?"

Brittany started walking a bit faster. "You stink! You're all sweaty! Ew!"

Alvin nonchalantly leaned his head to the side and gave his under arms a sniff. "Really? I don't smell anything."

"Ugh!" Brittany wheezed, rolling her eyes at the boy. "I swear, Alvin! Why do you wear that sweatshirt? It's like a million degrees! What idiot wears a sweatshirt in the summer?"

Alvin strolled to a stop and pulled the cumbersome garment off without another word of argument. Brittany slowed to a stop and watched, surprised that her insults had gotten him to remove his beloved hoodie. He still smelled of sweat but she couldn't help gawking at his revealed physique.

"Better?" he murmured as he slung the hoodie carefully over his shoulder so his CD player wouldn't topple out of the pocket.

"A little," Brittany managed, not letting on how much better she really thought it was. To avoid the risk of drawing his attention to the fact she was ogling his bare chest, she quickly turned and continued up the sidewalk. "You're still sweaty..."

"Well then whaddya say we take a swim in your pool?" Alvin suggested pointedly as he hurried to keep up with her pace.

Brittany had a feeling that was the main reason Alvin had followed her that far, just like a lost puppy. The Millers had recently set up their backyard swimming pool for the summer and news traveled fast about such things. Brittany urged herself to blow Alvin off but was intrigued over the idea of taking a dip. "Fine," she huffed, giving in. "But I still want to talk about-AHAHAHAHAHAHA STOP IT, ALVIN!"

After gaining permission to go swimming, Alvin mistakenly believed he'd also garnered permission to tickle Brittany again. He had gone for her waist which was exposed an inch or two due to the low-cut jeans and the high-cut shirts she so liked to wear. Having thoroughly weakened her with laughter, Alvin let out a laugh of his own and started running up the sidewalk towards the house.

Brittany finally caught her breath and screamed at the top of her lungs, almost well enough to rival the years of practice Dave had: "ALLLLLVIIIIIIN!"

Brittany marveled at the enthusiasm Alvin had for getting into their pool. She asked him if he was going to go home first to get a swimsuit, but he merely laughed at her and said his boxers would do the trick. She wasn't sure if she should be disgusted or compliant, but before she could argue he had already stripped his shoes, socks, and jeans off and discarded them along with his hoodie onto the deck surrounding the pool. Without another word, he catapulted into the clear, chlorinated water with such a mighty splash that Brittany nearly got drenched. Mortified and tempted to give the boy a good thrashing, Brittany stormed into her house through the back sliding door.

She reemerged in her favorite hot pink, two-piece swimsuit (also adorned with rhinestones) and two towels which she ceremoniously laid across some lounge chairs. Having done so, she then sat down atop one of them and slipped on some sunglasses. Instead of sunbathing luxuriously as she normally would, she just sat uncomfortably and stared at the pool blankly. Alvin came up to the pool's edge and glared incredulously at Brittany.

"You're not coming in?" he asked her in a tone that denoted bewilderment.

It seemed as though Brittany had not heard the inquiry, as she continued to look right through Alvin. It wasn't until the chipmunk boy flicked an ample amount of pool water at the girl's face that she chose to react.

"Alvin!" she shrieked, much louder than she herself had anticipated. She put her hand over her mouth and looked around to see if she had elicited any stares from the neighbors. Somewhat disappointed when she saw no one was looking at her, she glared back more focused on Alvin. "Stop it!"

"Aw come on, Britt!" Alvin moaned, pushing backwards into the water and floating on his back. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong, Alvin Seville!" the Chipette suddenly snapped, standing up and waggling a finger at the boy. "I am NOT giving up my career! I'm too young to be unemployed!"

It took Alvin a moment to comprehend what she was talking about, but then he remembered their overall predicament. He rolled onto his stomach and swam back over to the edge of the pool. "I know. Look, Britt, we'll handle this. All we gotta do is convince Dave to resign our contracts, and then he won't have a choice but to let us sing."

Brittany sighed and leaned back on the lounge chair. "Sure, Alvin. That sounds great, but what makes you think he'll change his mind?"

"I'll tell you what," Alvin said in a firm and confident voice. He never liked to be in situations in which someone doubted him, and he did not particularly like Brittany's tone. "All we have to do is show Dave that he'd be an idiot not to resign us!"

Brittany sat up again and crossed her arms and smirked. "Shouldn't that be obvious? MY band is perfect. I don't know why we should be dragged down just because Dave thinks the Chipmunks aren't-"

"Hold on!" Alvin interjected, eyes narrowing as he leaned further onto the wooden deck. "There's nothing wrong with the Chipmunks; it's not our fault!"

"Oh yeah?" Brittany sneered, taking her sunglasses off and glaring at the boy. She was appalled that Alvin might even think of insinuating that the Chipettes had anything to do with Dave's decision to pull the plug. "Then whose fault is it? Dave is YOUR father! Not ours!"

"Look," Alvin said in a hushed tone. His muscles twitched as he tried to keep his cool. "Let's forget about who's to blame. If we're going to fix this, you and I gotta cooperate, OK?" Brittany still appeared prideful but she nodded and allowed Alvin to continue. "All we need to do is get the public riled over us again. Maybe Dave is just mad at the recording label for screwing him over and he's not seeing straight. You're right..." he added in a painfully strained manner. "He doesn't have the right to take it out on us." Brittany rewarded Alvin's words with a painfully smug grin. "SO," Alvin proceeded quickly, "if we show him how much our fans adore me, er, us... he'll remember what our careers are all about."

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

Alvin pulled himself out of the pool and sat cross-legged in front of Brittany's chair. "The concerts... Brittany," he remarked, trying his hardest not to call her any names. "Remember? Dave invited you to perform with us at our concerts this summer." Brittany made a subtle face of revelation. "So we just need to put on our best performances EVER. We'll show him... he'll feel so dumb he'll sign those contracts in a heartbeat." Alvin studied Brittany's interested but not completely swayed expression. He reached out and touched her hand gently which took the Chipette by surprise. "Trust me."

Brittany's cheeks turned red and she gazed at Alvin for several moments. She suddenly slipped her hand out from under his and reached over to the second towel she had brought out. She handed it to Alvin in an attempt to shield her blushing. "Y-your hand is wet."

"No kidding?" Alvin grinned, knowing he had finally gotten through to her. He took the towel and draped it over his shoulders. "So are you with me on this?"

Brittany crossed her arms protectively over her chest and looked off into the distance again. "I don't want to be just some sideshow. It's not fair..." Her voice was distant but Alvin had heard her just fine.

"We'll share the stage equally. You can have your own numbers. You can have a solo!" Brittany's attention returned to the chipmunk. "We can work something out, Britt!"

"And what about your brothers? They really don't seem to care anymore," Brittany smirked, though her mind was wrapped firmly around the idea of having a solo performance at a large venue.

"Well your sisters seem pretty happy to break up too!" Alvin snapped, losing the level-headed temperament that he tried so hard to maintain.

"Eleanor just said that to keep us from fighting!" Brittany bit back, leaning forward to defiantly meet Alvin eye to eye. And they had been doing so well to be civil towards one another. Tsk tsk. "She hates fighting so she'll say anything to stop it."

"Oh sure, and Jeanette?"

"She'll just do anything Simon says!"

"Oh really? You mean like the game we played in elementary school?" Alvin smirked. "Like, Simon says, 'go jump off a cliff, Jeanette?'"

"Shut up, Alvin!" Brittany barked, not wanting anyone to insult her sister's constitution but her. "My sisters have no bearing on any of this!"

"Oh yeah? Well neither do my brothers!"

"Fine! I want a solo, center stage!"

"Fine! That can be arranged!"

"Fine! Then we have a deal!"

"Fine! I'll go tell Dave!"

Before the arguing / deal making could go on, Alvin leaned forward a bit further and kissed Brittany quickly on her lips. It happened so fast that the girl barely realized what he had done. She sat there blinking at him but he had already gotten up, dried off, and was putting his effects back on. By the time she snapped out of it, he was dressed and ready to leave.

"See you later, Britt," he declared as he trotted off towards the front yard.

Brittany finally came to her senses and just barely had the chance to wave goodbye to him. Dealing with Alvin sometimes gave her a headache; she wasn't sure if she was angry, bemused, or in love. Sometimes these very different feelings towards him came just shy of seconds from one another. From what she gathered, his hasty stolen kiss was his way of telling her beyond words to trust him on his plan.

She lied back on the lounge chair and put her sunglasses back on, letting herself relax and soak up the summer sun. As the heat of their argument subsided, she allowed herself to let go of the anger and let the bemused love settle in, a small smile forming on her lips.


End file.
